Distracted or External Horse? What Training can Help Improve Horse Attentiveness
- Loz
- Sep 27, 2025
- 9 min read
Yes, I have a horse that has always been more external. What do I mean by this? A horse that is external, generally, will be a horse that in the herd, will be the one looking out for threats to them and their herds safety, almost constantly. These horses will more than likely, under saddle or in-hand be often looking away from you or shifting their focus from you. Sometimes even more spooky/anxious.
The above picture is a great example of a horse being lunged that has external focus.
What does this look like, when you are working with them?
Ears not staying on you, flicking to where their attention is
Slowed response to your aids, as their processing time from being external, coming back into their body, and reacting to your aid takes longer
Physically turn their head/nose away to look
Ears and eyes, looking or scanning the outside environment
Sometimes they will escalate to a spook/anxiety reaction
Sometimes the "dragon" snort may be heard
Under saddle, specifically, you will suddenly feel their back drop and head go up (analyse threat mode enabled) in microseconds
Sometimes you will have a horse that "cortisol" bolts (this is when they go to an extreme flight reaction and things like 1-rein stops or any aids cannot break through to their nervous system... very dangerous!)
OK, cool, so how can I help my horse better manage this and work with me?
And the best thing is yes! You can help them improve their self-management of processing and reacting to "threats". Some horses may be naturally more worried about the environment, so you can only do what you can to help them with self-management and/or de-escalating behaviours. Read on!
Exercises to Help "External" Horses
I hear you! So here are a couple of exercises for you to try...
In-hand (aka groundwork/not ridden)
Attentiveness Work (not on a lunging circle)
Have your trusty whip or flag with you (or a lead rope that has a popper on the end)
When you walk around the arena, notice when your horse shifts its attention away from you (see the dot points above)
Within 3 seconds of you seeing this:
Bump your chest/leg with your hand
If no response back to you, whack the flag loudly on your leg
If no response back to you, wave the whip/flag quickly above your head (not directed at the horse)
If no response to this, you may need to put pressure on the lead rope (escalate quickly and help them come down)
As soon as they come back to you, take a deep breath out, go back to what you were asking/doing at the walk (be prepared for their response to your "pressured" response if you haven't done leading training they may escalate quickly) and rewards, with a gentle "Good boy/girl"
Repeat at walk both sides (3-5 repetitions both ways)
Repeat at the trot both sides (3-5 repetitions both ways)
Test: let the horse walk around 2-3m away from at the leading stance, let the horse wonder around. Slow yourself and halt, see how the horse responds and escalate as in step c above (quickly)
Re-test both sides
Move for Attentiveness (this is my favourite)
Similar approach to the Attentiveness Work (not on a lunging circle) above, however, this is putting the horse to work or as I like to say "give them an immediate job".
You will start by walking around the area with your horse 2-3m away from you in leading, as soon as you notice any of the signs (from the dot points in the intro), transition them up a gait (make sure they are responsive and go!)
Allow them to travel on a circle and when the stay focused on you, transition back down a gait
Repeat steps a and b above
If after the horse moves up a gait, they are distracted again, immediately ask for a higher gait
If they are still distracted here, make the circle smaller quickly
Then transition down the gait once they are staying attentive to you
Change the rein and repeat
The reason I love this second in-hand exercise the most (Move for Attentiveness), is that it also sharpens your horse up to aids under saddle! I often find the change in your horse is immediately noticed if you ride straight after this exercise.
Ridden
Halt-Trot then Trot-Halt on Squares
This sharpens the horses response to your aids. It also doesn't give them time to think about things away from you.
Imagine a square in the space you are riding, roughly 20-30m each side in length (for the dressage divas out there, use B or E as your turning markers and go across the arena)
Pick a spot, away from any of the corners, halt
Get yourself ready, take a deep breath in and out, on your next sharply inhale and ask for a trot (and mean it)
Try and turn a nice balanced corner (for the dressage divas, use some half-halts to check the horse is with you)
After the corner, ask your horse for a forward thinking halt (it's ok if at first your horse takes 1-2 steps of walk to then stop)
If it takes longer, ask for a responsive back-up (ensure the horse is lifting its shoulders and not dragging its front feet backwards.
Halt, reward with a slight release of the reins forward, scratch at the wither or say "Good boy/girl"
Repeat steps b through f, aiming to get the transitions quicker and sharper each time
Do it 3-5 times on one rein and then 3-5 times on the other rein
Finish with a forward trot around the entire riding area/arena both directions (and change exercises)
Small (5-10m) Circle
This is best used, if you feel the horses back drop or their anxiety shift quickly, a small circle is your friend as it will be something harder, they have to focus on instead of outwards things. This is a great de-escalation exercise. The size of the circle will also depend on how strong/fit your horse is and can stay ion balance on the circle.
No matter where you are in your riding area, if they look or divert their attention elsewhere, do a small circle in the opposite direction.
Make sure the circle size is appropriate to their strength and fitness level. For example, a horse just being brought back into work would be best to try a 10m circle. Unlike a horse that is working and fit with good balance, can do a circle closer to 5m in diameter.
Keep doing this smaller circle, until you feel them soften their back and contact in your reins. At first this may take a while so be patient with your horse during this time. Be careful not to "pull" them to this circle, they need to be soft, and in balance.
Try to use your outside rein as a guide and get their rib cage to soften around your inside leg (you may need to gently bump the inside leg until you get the intended result (check out what this is in your 7-point seat).
Once they soften, exit the circle and travel in a straight line.
Repeat when the horses goes "external" again.
Zig-Zag Leg Yield
This is all about helping the horse remove brace from its ribs and diaphragm (where a lot of tension seems to begin in the horse's body).
For this you will need the long side of an arena or riding arena longer than 20m.
At the walk, come down the 3/4 line and leg yield your horse to the arena wall/fence
Leg yield back off the wall to the 3/4 line, and leg yield back out to the wall/fence (you should create a zig-zag pattern)
Aim to keep the horse as straight as possible (don't let your horse's neck bend)
The walk is usually the hardest to get spot on, so take your time.
Repeat this 3 times (i.e. 3 times along the long side of the arena/riding area), and then change reins and repeat 3 times
Variations
Do the leg yields at trot
Combine walk-trot transitions within the leg yield steps
For the guns, can you do canter leg yield (no changes allowed... takes some awesome control!)
Halt-Canter (for more advanced, physically strong and balanced horses)
For horses that are more balanced, stronger and more advanced in their training. Using the same approach as exercise 1 in the ridden section.
Imagine a square in the space you are riding, roughly 20-30m each side in length (for the dressage divas out there, use B or E as your turning markers and go across the arena)
Pick a spot, away from any of the corners, halt
Get yourself ready, take a deep breath in and out, on your next sharply inhale and ask for a canter depart (and mean it)
Try and turn a nice balanced, collected, corner (for the dressage divas, use some half-halts to check the horse is with you and make sure that neither shoulder is "dropping")
After the corner, ask your horse for a forward-thinking halt (it's ok if at first your horse takes 1-2 steps of trot to then stop)
If it takes longer, ask for a responsive back-up (ensure the horse is lifting its shoulders and not dragging its front feet backwards.
Halt, reward with a slight release of the reins forward, scratch at the wither or say "Good boy/girl"
Repeat steps b through f, aiming to get the transitions quicker and sharper each time
Do it 3-5 times on one rein and then 3-5 times on the other rein
Finish with a forward trot or canter around the entire riding area/arena both directions (and change exercises), allowing the horse to reach and stretch its neck "telescoping" out, not ploughing down
This is the ultimate check of the horse not being on the forehand and carry itself (otherwise known as "self-carriage")
Transition-Palooza
For those really windy or distracting days, which may test your ability to stay grounded (you've got this!). I have a big exercise for you. Now your horse will potentially be more energetic on days like today. So this is taking the "Move for Attentiveness" exercise under saddle. The key is to do lots of movements, keep in motion, and not have too much time for the horse to even consider going externally.
Mount up and start walking, now complete a 5m circle (if your horse is not strong enough for this, aim for a 10m circle)
Change rein and do a 5m circle directly of this 5m circle (so you have done a figure 8)
Do this 3 times in a row
Halt, ask for a lifted back up of 3 steps (release the reins but keep a soft contact)
Ask for a forward and lifted trot
Trot a 10m circle one rein and then a 10m circle on the other rein (again in a figure of 8)
Do this 3 times in a row
Halt, ask for a lifted back up of 3 steps (release the reins but keep a soft contact)
Walk on, down the long side leg-yield off the track 3 steps, then back to the wall
Trot on
Change rein, back to walk, down the long side leg-yield off the track 3 steps, then back to the wall
Trot on
Repeat i through l 3 times
Allow the horse to walk and assess attentiveness to you
If they are calm, allow the walk to continue as a reward/rest and reset your position and breathing
If they are still quite energetic, transition them to canter
Aim for a 20m circle or if possible a 15m
Count 3 strides of canter, then transition to trot, count 4 strides of trot and transition up to a canter (staying on the circle)
Do r for 3 repetitions, change rein at the last trot
Repeat r on the other rein
Allow the horse to have a walk break and assess their attentiveness to to
If they are calm, allow the walk to continue as a reward/rest and reset your position and breathing
If they are still quite energetic, work on halt-trot-halt transitions (on a square as we are aiming for balanced corners and not dropping the shoulders)
Alternatively, start introducing lateral work like shoulder-in, travers and renvers at the trot (finish with a decent half-pass both reins, two each way)
If the horse is proficient, work on walk-canter-walk on the circle with clear, upwards lifted transitions (and not falling onto their shoulders in the downwards transitions)
Finish with a soft long rein walk, brush or hose off (they may be sweaty after this one)
Conclusion: Embracing the Journey with Your External Horse
Working with an external horse is as much about developing your own awareness and patience as it is about supporting your horse’s confidence and focus. Every step you take together—whether in-hand or under saddle—offers an opportunity to strengthen the partnership, build mutual trust, and celebrate those small but significant “aha!” moments. Remember, your horse isn’t being difficult or distracted on purpose; they’re responding to their instincts, shaped by the very role they’d play in the wild herd.
By consistently applying these exercises and responding calmly and thoughtfully, you’re not just helping your horse manage their external focus; you’re empowering them to process the world with a sense of safety and assurance by your side. Over time, you’ll notice their reactions soften, their connection to you deepen, and their ability to self-regulate blossom. These transformations don’t happen overnight—progress is often subtle and gradual—but each positive response, no matter how small, is a testament to your dedication and your horse’s growing confidence.
So take a moment to appreciate the unique gifts your external horse brings to your life. Their vigilance and sensitivity can teach us all invaluable lessons about empathy, adaptability, and the quiet power of presence. Stay patient, stay curious, and keep celebrating every step forward. You and your horse are on a remarkable journey together—enjoy every stride!
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